Photograph

Reuniting with Bollywood star Nawazuddin Siddiqui (Manto, MIFF 2018; Gangs of Wasseypur, MIFF 2012), The Lunchbox director Ritesh Batra contemplates love, life, and the complexities of culture, religion and class on the subcontinent.

Cementing his status as a keen observer of India’s changing population, Batra crafts a sensitive, bittersweet exploration of modern-day romance in Mumbai, including the importance placed on marriage and the country’s struggle to reconcile its traditional ways with today’s reality.

Photographer Rafi (Siddiqui) is accustomed to his friends’ and family’s disapproval, with his grandmother refusing to take her medication until he finds a wife. Student Miloni knows she’s supposed to study hard, get a job and settle down with a man of her parents’ choosing, but dreams of escaping the city for a quiet, rural existence instead. He’s Muslim and poor, while she’s Hindu and middle class. But after he snaps her portrait on the street, they form an unexpected bond – especially after Miloni agrees to pose as Rafi’s girlfriend.

“For anyone who appreciates Batra’s understated style, Photograph is a satisfying, unswoony romance.” – The Hollywood Reporter